Zucchini Noodle & Mozzarella Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

September 8, 2016 Amanda Plott

After a couple of weeks of visiting family, busy schedules, and meat heavy meals, my brother and I decided to call it. Together we're going mostly vegetarian this week with just one chicken meal planned and one 'wild card' night in the mix. While I generally have kept most of my vegetarian recipes rather hearty, sometimes... less is more.

This light and simple zucchini noodle salad is completely bursting with bright flavors, and with such few ingredients and low effort too! It makes for a perfect little lunch or even a decently sized side dish for a dinner. I'm thinking along side some baked Italian chicken breast. Yum!...

Healthified Chicken Salad Stuffed Tomato

August 23, 2016 Amanda Plott

Maybe it's the south in me, but I love me some chicken salad. And I don't mean chicken... on a salad. I mean actual chicken salad; shredded chicken combined with all sorts of wonderfulness to make for a perfectly sweet, salty, crunchy, soft, simply-complex bite.

The first time I ever saw chicken salad stuffed into a tomato was at this place I worked in the summer while I was in college, Stone Werks Big Rock Grille in San Antonio Texas. They had this wonderful salad that mainly consisted of a stuffed tomato that you could get loaded with either chicken or tuna salad. It was simple and also ended up being one of my favorite dishes at the place with the more rich chicken salad being brightened up with the citrus of the tomato. Yum!...

Pesto & Ricotta Summer Tomato Tart

July 10, 2016 Amanda Plott

I'm so excited to share this amazing little bite with you, and for more than one reason too! Not only does it taste absolutely awesome, there's also a surprise below in the directions. But, you'll have to go on down to find out what!

So, back to this fun pesto and ricotta summer tart. With it being well into the 100 degree days here in Texas for a few more months, I'm all about keeping food simple and cold. With little to no cooking or heat involved. This tart is just that. Simple. Clean. Fun. ...And so tasty too. Plus, with minimal cooking involved, you won't have to heat up the house.

Tip: If you're really trying to save on heating up the house, you can always bake the pie crust ahead of time or even outdoors on a grill!...

Pesto, Spinach & Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Sweet Potato (Crock Pot)

April 28, 2016 Amanda Plott

I've been a huge fan of cooking my potatoes in my crock pot for a good while now. It's a trick that I picked up a few years back and tend to use it when I'm feeling particularly lazy; being slammed by another good storm this week, I was just that. When it rains, it pours.

So, I decided to use this crock pot trick once again with making these amazing stuffed sweet potatoes. What I like most about cooking my potatoes this way is that they are entirely hands off, they don't really get 'over done' or 'under done', and I don't have to heat up my house with the oven being on...

Grilled Feta Skewers

April 19, 2016 Amanda Plott

The rain here in Texas has been crazy these last few days, and we still have more to come. Houston, you're in my thoughts! Despite the turn of weather (April showers bring May flowers...), I'm still getting my grill on this week. One way or another.

To add a little color and brightness to my life during this rather gloomy day, I decided to grill up these veggie-full skewers that couldn't be any more easy to make, or any more delicious. Let's face it, I'm a sucker for cheese is just about any form or fashion...

Italian Baked Eggs

April 7, 2016 Amanda Plott

First of all... Happy 6th Birthday Lily!

With plenty of family coming into town this weekend and lots of birthday party plans, I needed a rather quick and easy breakfast that I could whip up this week. But, naturally I still wanted to have something that was real and healthy too.

Now, I'm the first one to admit that pretty much anything Italian is an instant win with me. So when I initially heard of Italian Baked Eggs, I was intrigued to say the least. Red sauce? For breakfast? How scandalous! ...I must try it!...